


Wheezing

by SpaceMalarkey



Series: Royal Links AU [5]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Angst, Gen, Horror, Hyrule has a bad time, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Psychological Horror, Royal Links AU, Scary, spoopy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:20:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22687630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpaceMalarkey/pseuds/SpaceMalarkey
Summary: Set in the Royal Links AU (Linked Universe AU)Prince Hyrule and his flame knight Wild are going on another adventure. Little do they know this adventure is unlike their previous ones.
Relationships: Hyrule & Wild (Linked Universe)
Series: Royal Links AU [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1660654
Comments: 12
Kudos: 97





	Wheezing

**Author's Note:**

> All you need to know about this AU:  
> \- Hyrule is the prince  
> \- Wild is his personal knight and he has magic (fire magic)  
> \- Hyrule and Wild have a blood bond which enables them to feel each others emotions

It seemed like a normal day for the court. Legend was groaning over a massive pile of papers, Advisor Time was trying his best to motivate the sarcastic king while being pestered by Kishin. Sky was working on a new song, looking carefree like always. Warrior was probably off inspecting the troops, or by the sounds of crashing coming from the treasury again, trying to catch his little brother. 

The steady sound of hammering from the forge was a dead giveaway that Four was hard at work, and wanted no interruptions as usual.

Outside the castle walls, by the stables. Twilight was petting the horses and instructing some of the younger nobles in how to properly saddle one. 

Everything was normal, Hyrule thought, as he and Wild once again wandered around inside the massive castle, looking for adventure. Both of them had grown bored, and wanted to stretch their legs, and maybe find some hidden treasure, or some secret to the castle.

After wandering for some time, the two decided to look for a way down into the lower levels of the castle. Usually this was reserved for the working class. Four's Forge was located beneath the levels of the throne room closer to the outer walls for easy transport and ventilation. Some of the servants quarters were also located in the basement, as were the kitchens. But what lay further down? 

The Prince had told his knight of a door he had seen leading from the kitchens and down a corridor, ending in what seemed to be a staircase. No one he had asked knew where it lead, and it wasn’t in use. 

Perfect for adventure!

As they made their way past the kitchens, Wild snatched a couple of apples and took one big bite from one of them. Hyrule glared in envy. Wild never seemed to get in trouble for taking food from the kitchens, but the second Hyrule did, the head chef smacked his hands with her spatula. 

Wild noticed him glaring and laughed. 

"What? It’s not my fault she thinks you need to learn manners!"

The Prince gave his knight a playful shove. 

"It’s unfair! You know it is!"

His knight laughed at his misfortune, and soon there was an apple, beautiful and red in front of his face. 

"How about I grab us snacks from the kitchens from now on?" 

"Deal!"

As they continued down the corridor, lights turned dimmer. 

The end of the corridor seemed to open up in a black hole, swallowing up any light that dared come near. It somehow seemed more ominous than the other times the Prince had been here. He couldn’t even see where the staircase began. 

Good thing he brought the Flame Knight with him. 

Wild gave him one small glance before immediately understanding he was needed, and lit a small fire in the palm of his left hand. The shadows fled the magical light and Hyrule looked down a long, poorly maintained stone staircase which ended in a massive wooden door. 

Hopefully it wasn’t locked.

Several times the pair had to steady one another. The stairs were narrow in some places, and loose in others. Wild almost fell down the entire flight of stairs at some point, had it not been for Hyrule grabbing the back of his tunic. Instead of being shaken by his almost devastating fall, the knight complimented Hyrule's quick reflexes, saying that the training must have been effective. 

They were more careful after that, making sure to test the stairs before placing all their weight on them. 

Soon they were by the massive door. There were faded inscriptions along the frame. Try as they might, they could not read it. It was too old, too weathered. 

Hyrule gave Wild a confident look, and he grabbed the heavy iron handle and pulled with all his might. 

The door barely moved. 

Wild moved closer, grabbing the handle with his free hand, and together they pulled the heavy door open. 

Not only was the door massive, it was also thick, and heavy. The kind of door that was used in fortifying the castle. 

Hyrule grinned. 

That usually means someone wanted others to keep out.

In his excitement, Hyrule didn’t see how the flame in Wild's hand flickered. He didn’t feel the air rush past them as the door was pried open. 

Nothing felt wrong. 

On the other side of the door was another corridor, even darker and seemingly forgotten completely by the people living above. Wild lit a few of the torches hanging from the walls, yet the light seemed weak. 

_ “Maybe it’s because of the size of this space,” _ Hyrule thought, yet somehow the presence of the light made the darkness ahead of them seem heavier. 

Wild didn’t seem concerned. Confidence and excitement flooded through their bond and Hyrule felt reassured. 

"At least there is only one way to go," the knight said in a happy voice. "Not like that time we tried finding the fabled Fairy Jewel, right?"

Hyrule groaned. 

"Don’t remind me! That labyrinth was hell!" 

The sound of their laughter echoed down the darkened corridor. 

The two shared a moment of doubt. 

How long was this hallway? 

Hyrule shook his head. Only one way to find out. He grabbed a discarded torch and let Wild light it before he started exploring the place. Wild followed closely behind, making his flame glow brighter in some places where the ceiling changed to allow for old carvings. Almost like some sort of spell.

They had walked for what seemed like an hour before finding something interesting. The corridor had several smaller rooms hidden along it, and it had changed from a straight forward hallway, to one with several paths to follow. 

Maybe this was a labyrinth after all? 

Or maybe... 

"It almost looks like a town," Wild commented, staring at the big room ahead of them. Almost like a massive chamber leading to several other places. Like a city in the mountain, with carvings of old goddesses, beautiful metalwork, and what looked like an altar in the center of the circular room. An old place of worship, perhaps? 

Hyrule moved closer to the altar, eager to find out more. 

His knight seemed to have other interests, as he walked over to the opening to their left. He stopped before going through, focusing on the words carved along what looked like a frame.

As Hyrule neared the altar, he could see a few objects lying against the tablet in the middle. A silver cup, a mortar and pestle, and what looked like a sack of something. All of it seemed covered by a heavy coat of dust.

The Prince gave the items a considering look, before deciding against taking some of them. Instead, he used his hand to wipe off the dust covering the tablet. It was filled with words in a language he did not understand, as well as a symbol. It looked like a circle, only twisted in the middle. 

Hyrule wasn’t sure what to make of it. He tried making out any of the words, but there was nothing he would read. 

As he leaned back, ready to go over to his knight and see if he had found anything interesting, an object caught his eye. 

It felt almost like he was forced to look at it. Like something was dragging his attention away from Wild and over to the object lying against the altar. The sack? 

Hyrule knelt down to get a closer look. 

Not a sack. A doll. It was crudely made, with no facial features. Only the hair. Short and fluffy, similar to Hyrule's own hair. 

It looked like the doll had been made in a rush. The stitches were crude and the material used was not the best available. 

Yet there was another thing entirely that made Hyrule's skin crawl. 

The doll was completely void of dust.

"Hyrule?" 

Wild's voice sounded impossibly loud in Hyrule's ears. He startled, jumping away from the altar like his body had been freed from whatever had forced his attention to the doll. 

Wild was standing behind him, a worried look on his face. 

"You okay? You didn’t answer me when I called you." 

The Prince gave himself a few moments to breathe, before straightening. 

"Yeah, I just-" he paused, uncertain. "Does this look off to you?"

Wild stared at the altar, at the words on the tablet, and the strange symbol. then, his eyes fell upon the doll. 

"Yeah, it looks really creepy," he muttered, taking a step back. 

"Maybe we should keep going. This chamber is really big, and I think if we can light it up somehow, it will be easier to find something." 

Hyrule nodded, forcing himself to ignore the doll, and looked up at the ceiling. Or, as far as he could see in the general direction of the ceiling. 

"Hang on," Wild instructed, creating a bigger flame with two hands, and throwing it upward, controlling its movement with great concentration. The flame floated up, until the two could see the carvings of roses among the ceiling. Wild moved the flame around, trying to find any sources he could light. There were none. 

The knight recalled the flame, shrinking it into his left palm once more with a sigh. 

"I wonder how the people who lived here managed to see anything?" he asked. 

Hyrule made an affirmative sound. That was a good question. The ceiling was filled with carvings, meaning the ceiling was in place at the same time as the previous inhabitants. Why did they choose to live down in the mountain like this?

"Maybe they used magic," Hyrule mused. 

"They must have, it’s impossible to see anything fully with just me lighting the place up," Wild muttered. "Maybe they had several users at the same time? Maybe they had another magical source of light? Oh, Hyrule, what if we find some old magic texts? Maybe this was a place of information? Like a library hidden from the world?" 

Wild's excited chatter was lighting Hyrule's heart. Soon he had forgotten the dread he felt at the altar. He felt himself walk over to one of the entrances, staring at the carvings and wondering what kind of treasures they would find.

One particular opening seemed to have more carvings along the corresponding hallway. 

Instantly Hyrule walked past the threshold, eager to find a hidden library filled with magical tomes, or a room or ancient worship, or even a residency. In his haste and excitement, he had failed to notice how the darkness around him was shifting. 

He focused only on the hallway, and where it would lead.

He didn’t notice that Wild's footsteps had disappeared.

  
  


Hyrule kept walking, fuelled by an intense need to discover the truth of this place. The hallway seemed to go on and on, giving Hyrule glimpses of what used to be. Several rooms ran along the hallway, accompanied by windows. The further he walked, the more detailed the carvings around the frames seemed to become. There was a small object in one of the windows. 

A familiar shape.

As he neared the window, the light from his torch illuminated the windowsill, allowing him to see a small doll lying against the frame. The same type of doll that had been lying against the altar. 

Only this doll had eyes. Small, green eyes. 

Green like Hyrule's eyes.

The dread was back. Something was wrong. 

Hyrule became aware of everything all at once. 

The darkness hugging him, seemingly restraining him, the feeling of being watched.

The silence.

Where was Wild? Wasn’t he behind him just a moment ago?

Against all his instincts and logic, Hyrule turned around and was met by nothingness. A chill in the air that wasn’t there before ran up his spine. The hallway he had come from was completely black. Like a thick wall of darkness. How far had he gone? When did Wild stop following him?

Something was moving there, in the darkness. He could hear it, and it wasn’t Wild.

There was a wheezing noise, deep in the darkness. Like someone breathing with great difficulty. Hyrule's instincts screamed, and he obeyed. He instantly turned around and ran. The light he carried with him did little to illuminate his path, and the noise was following behind, keeping at a distance.

He kept running, and the more he ran, the louder the noise became. Until he could almost hear it breathing into his ear. 

Something had changed, however. Up ahead, there was a faint light. Blue light. 

Daylight! 

With a scream, he threw himself into the room, into the soft, almost sacred blue light. 

He rolled on the floor, and in the process, lost his torch. It fell into what looked like sand, and the fire went out, removing the warm light and leaving Hyrule alone in the cold. 

The noise stopped beyond the opening, keeping to the darkness. An almost growl sounded, before the wheezing noise grew fainter, until the Prince was left in silence once more.

His heart hammered in his chest, threatening to burst out of his chest. He sat there for what seemed like hours, before he regained his breath and survival instincts took over. He took in his surroundings, another large circular room with carvings and engravings. And an altar.

However, this altar was different. The sight of it brought chills back to Hyrule's very soul. Around the altar were several circles of little objects. Dolls. 

The outer ring of them appeared slightly detailed. Having sewn eyes and hair. The next ring closer to the center had noses as well, and the third ring, closest to the altar had a mouth and clothing. 

Upon the altar lay another doll. The most detailed doll Hyrule had ever seen in his life.

The sight of the doll would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. 

It was him. 

Every detail matched him. His clothing was an exact replica, his hair soft and brown, and his eyes, peridot gemstones. 

One detail that did not match Hyrule's current description, was the blade stabbed through the abdomen of the doll. Red threads were spun around the doll, entwining the other circles of dolls.

The brief moment of relief was crushed. And the breathing was back.

Hyrule didn’t turn to see behind him. He ran. Ran as fast as he could, and prayed to the goddesses that he would find his way back to Wild. The wheezing followed him into the darkness, chasing him through the corridors. He passed several rooms, yet he did not run into either of them to hide. He didn't think about hiding. All he could think was run. Run! RUN!

The prayers he chanted over and over were left unheard. Wherever this place was seemed forgotten even by the goddesses. The inevitable happened, fate, or destiny, or whatever you wish to call it would have its due. Hyrule slipped on a small rock, and fell onto the floor. His arms reaching out for something, anything to help him continue on. All his hand found was the feeling of linen. He could hear the wheezing directly above him. Hyrule twisted his body, trying to see whatever was chasing him. All he was met with was the darkness, and the glint of a sharp blade. 

Then, pain bloomed in his abdomen, his life spilling over the forgotten stones. 

Then, nothing.

  
  


Hyrule woke to nothingness. Woke to silence and darkness. 

What?

He dared not move. Didn’t he-? 

Confusion filled him. Didn’t he die? 

He was holding something. What was he holding?

Slowly he ran his fingers across the object. Linen fiber, thread, hastily sewn, wool. 

The doll. 

The doll he had seen in the windowsill. The doll without any features.

He had been stabbed. And yet, when he ran his fingers over his abdomen, there was no wound. No blood. 

Did this doll save him?

Slowly, carefully, fearfully, he sat up, slowly crawling over to the wall and leaning his back against it. The doll came apart in his hands, thread snapping and whatever was inside the doll felt awfully wet and squishy. 

Hyrule didn’t want to think about that.

He focused his hearing, yet the wheezing noise was nowhere to be heard. Good. He needed to get back to Wild. 

Goddesses, he hoped Wild was ok. He hadn’t felt anything through their bond since he noticed he was alone.

Slowly he crawled on all fours along the wall. The safest bet to get back to the large chamber. 

As he crawled along the cold stone, he kept a sharp ear to the dark, listening for any noise. Then, he heard something new. Muffled yelling.

Hyrule felt anxiety, fear. concern. 

Concern that wasn’t his own.

Hyrule forgot all caution and leapt up, running to the sound. His efforts were brutally halted as he ran into a stone wall. 

The yelling came from the other side of the wall. But how could that be? There wasn’t supposed to be a wall here. 

Hyrule groaned, sitting up and rubbing his face. 

He could barely make out Wild's yelling on the other side.

"I’m here!" Hyrule yelled, pressing himself to the stone wall, trying to push it, or find some hidden lock. There was nothing. 

"Wild! I’m here!"

Wild couldn’t hear him. He could hear his knight hitting the wall with something heavy, but the wall didn’t budge. He could feel frustration and fear through their bond. Wild didnt know Hyrule was right there.

He tried to concentrate. Tried to show Wild he was nearby through their bond, but something was off. 

Suddenly, a rush of extreme fear came through the bond, and Wild stopped hitting the wall, stopped yelling for his Prince.

Hyrule was left in silence once more.

Until the wheezing noise started up again. 

Knowing what it meant, Hyrule immediately ducked, and as silently as he could, crawled over to the opening of one of the rooms. Thanking the goddesses for the lack of doors to these rooms, he pressed his back against the wall, trying to slow his breathing and calm his racing heart. The wheezing grew louder, and louder, accompanied by the sound of a blade scraping against the stone floor. Hyrule held his breath as the wheezing sound from just outside the room he was hiding in. The blade scraped in confused circles, before the wheezing continued on down the hallway, slowly disappearing once again.

Hyrule gave it a few more seconds before he dared to breathe again. Careful to not make any noise he slowly sat up, using the windowsill for support. His knees were shaking badly. There was nothing through the bond. No sound from Wild on the other side. He had to find another way to the circular chamber. He had seen another door before entering the hallway he was currently in. It was just the matter of finding the right corridor. 

Like a labyrinth.

The Prince took a few steadying breaths, and steeled his soul. He would find his knight, and they would get out of here. They would survive this. 

Silently, he crept out of the room, paying close attention to where he was going, and making sure he didn’t trip like last time. He would have to explore the rooms and find the entrance to the other corridor. While whatever was down here with them prowled the halls.

Easy peasy.

He had tried three different rooms, all leading to dead ends. Which meant he had one option. He had to return to the blue room. The room with the very detailed doll. 

He shuddered, hoping that the wheezing wouldn’t be there. It has persisted, trying to find him along the halls. He had nearly been caught, thinking quickly and lying down with his back against the wall as the blade almost caught on his clothes when the wheezing went by him.

He wouldn’t have a second chance at this. He pressed on, slowly making his way over to the faint blue light. He didn’t move until he heard the wheezing move past him again and disappear into the dark halls behind them. He crept out of the small corner he had hidden in, and poked his head into the blue room.

The faint light came from a deep crack in the ceiling, creating false hope for any escape that way. However it enabled him to see again. The room was empty save for the dolls and the altar. But the very detailed doll was gone. The red threads remained bound around the other dolls. Hyrule shuddered. 

Fuck those dolls.

He turned around, desperately trying to find a way out. The wheezing could be heard again. There! A small hole in the wall! Hyrule made his way over as silently as he could, and crawled through. 

This was the other corridor. 

This was the way out. As he made to crawl further, his hand moved on its own, fingers curling around fabric. Linen. 

Another doll.

As soon as Hyrule recognised it, there was another familiar sensation. 

Ice through his chest, pain flooding his mind, and yet again his awareness faded completely to the sound of wheezing in his ear.

He woke anew to silence and darkness. With the sensation of a crude doll falling apart in his hand. He left its remains on the floor, warm fluids spilling from his hands. 

He couldn’t linger, couldn’t die again. 

Slowly, he removed his shoes, holding them instead in one hand in case he needed to distract the wheezing. With newfound stealth, he crawled forward, keeping his hands to the walls. 

He felt a stab of cold spread across his body, and he immediately threw himself on the ground, lying completely still as the wheezing started up loudly, coming out of nowhere.

The Prince held his breath as the wheezing stayed nearby, seemingly looking for him. Seemingly wanting to end him forever. The slight growls accompanied the horrible noise, and after what seemed like an eternity, it left down the hall where Hyrule had come from, entering a room to search for him. 

Hyrule let his instincts lead him, immediately getting up and crawling along the wall, moving closer to the end of the hallway.

There was something different now. A faint light up ahead. Different than the last light he had seen. This light was warm and flickering. Accompanied by a muffled, distorted voice calling for someone. 

Calling for him, Hyrule realised. Something was blocking the sound. 

Suddenly the wheezing was by his ear again, and the cold in his stomach told him to duck. He could feel the wind from the blade as it cut the very ends of his hair. He had barely avoided the slice. Abandoning all attempts of stealth, Hyrule sprinted across the stones, towards the muffled voice calling his name. There was the threshold to the circular chamber. Right in front of him. The wheezing had gotten louder, angrier. Hyrule didn’t dare look back. He let his instincts take over completely, let his legs run faster than they had ever before. He could feel nothing. No fatigue, no pain from the overworked muscles. Could hear his heart pounding in his ears.

The light was so close. Just a little further. Just a little faster. He could see the chamber. Could see the light float around, but did not see its master. The threshold. He had to make it past the threshold.

His bare foot hit the border, and his ears were filled with that terrifying wheezing, echoing impossibly through his entire being, before it all stopped.

Hyrule hadn’t realised how cold he was. He hadn’t realised how horrible his breath sounds. He hadn’t realised how badly he was shaking until he felt Wild's warm hands grabbing his arms and steadying him. 

"Hey, 'Rule! What’s wrong?" 

Wild stared at him with such confusion, and Hyrule could feel it through their bond. 

He could feel.

"I-" he tried, but the words were stuck in his throat. 

"What happened? Is this some sort of prank?" Wild asked. "You’re freezing! Where are your shoes?"

Hyrule just blinked up at his knight, distantly remembering throwing the shoes at whatever was chasing him in panic. 

"They... I threw them." Hyrule managed. 

"Threw them? Hold on, I'll get them back."

No. NO! No he couldn’t go in there. He couldn’t let Wild go in there. 

He threw himself at Wild, gripping his arms tightly. 

"Don’t go in there, please don’t. It will get you. I barely got away and it-" he choked on his words yet again. He couldn’t say it. It was too fresh in his mind. 

Wild turned to him with concern shining in his eyes. 

"Hyrule, what are you talking about? You were gone for 5 minutes."

That couldn’t be right. No, it was impossible. He had not been in that place for 5 minutes. He remembered hours passing. He was so tired, so exhausted. 

"Please, let’s just leave. I cant- I can’t go back in there. Don’t go in there, Wild." 

Something must have shown through the bond. Wild went from disbelief to determined in the blink of an eye, and he knelt down in front of his Prince, back turned. 

He didn’t say anything he didn’t need to. Hyrule climbed on his back, and Wild secured his legs before swiftly walking towards the exit, letting several flames illuminate the path ahead.

Hyrule didn’t even need to help him with the first door. Wild pushed through it with the strength he wasn’t supposed to have. All because he needed to get Hyrule out of there. He would most definitely hurt when he regained his senses. Wild always shut his senses off when it came to Hyrule's well being. He wished Wild wouldn’t do that.

Wild let go of the door, and it slammed shut with a massive bang. As they climbed the stairs, Hyrule started slipping into sleep. The sound of his own wheezing followed him into oblivion as the light from the sun outside shone brilliantly through the windows. 

  
  



End file.
